Genevieve Lefoux
Genevieve Lefoux is a character in the Parasol Protectorate Series, the Finishing School Series, and the Custard Protocol series. Madame Lefoux ran the hat shop Chapeau de Poupe, which later passed to Sandalio Di Rabbifano (Biffy). She is also a scientist and inventor, and a member of the Order of the Brass Octopus. Among her inventions is Alexia's parasol, which contains many resources for dealing with supernaturals. Appearance Madame Lefoux is described as very beautiful, with a small mouth, large green eyes, prominent cheekbones, and dimples. Her hair is unfashionably short, and she dresses rather fashionably (though inappropriately) in men's clothing. She has a tattoo of an octopus on the back of her neck, which signifies her membership to the OBO. She smells of vanilla and mechanical oil. Personality Gail talks about Genevieve in her "Page 69 Test" Blog post: "One of my favorite things about writing [[Finishing School Series|Finishing School series]] was the opportunity to explore Vieve's character further. She's 10 in Etiquette & Espionage ... and in her 30s in the Parasol Protectorate series. Throughout both she is charming and a great lover of technology, who is excited by creativity. But in the Finishing School books, I got to write her before her heart is broken and she becomes brittle. In the Parasol Protectorate books, Alexia (the main character) finds Madame Lefoux fascinating, but untrustworthy and for good reason. Sophronia, on the other hand, adores Vieve but doesn't need to trust her. Sophronia is a spy, she doesn't trust anyone. Yet both Sophronia and Vieve are loyal to each other and have a strange kind of integrity. I like the way that the same side character reflects and interrelates differently with my two main characters. This, I hope, tells readers quite a bit about Vieve and how she changes over the years, but also how different Sophronia's view of the world is from Alexia's." History An illegitimate child, Genevieve was born in the Winter 1840 and dropped off with her Aunt Beatrice by her father. Her father died shortly thereafter. Her father may or may not have known Alessandro Tarabotti; Lefoux indicates she once met Alexia's dad. She lived with her aunt at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing School for Young Ladies of Quality, using the name Vieve and presenting herself as a boy. While there she had free reign of the school, and made friends with the sooties, Soap, and Sophronia Temminnick. Her nickname among the sooties was Trouble, which she excelled at getting into. She later went on to attend Bunson and Lacroix's Boys' Polytechnique under the pseudonym Gaspar Lefoux, and graduated with distinction. After that she attended École des Arts et Métiers, still disguised as a boy, and befriended Gustave TrouvéBlameless, ''chapter 6. After school, Genevieve started a shop with her aunt Beatrice in Paris, where they produced domestic women's gadgets. As a young woman, she was romantically involved with Angelique, and adopted Angelique's son Quesnel after he was abandoned by his mother (Angelique sought immortality as a vampire, but was unable to become a drone because she had a child, leading to her abandoning Quesnel and keeping a distinct air of mystery about her). Timeline * 1840 (Winter) Genevieve born * 1845 (Winter) Age 5, meets Alessandro Tarabotti * 1845-1846 Moves to Devon with her aunt * 1851 (Winter) Age 10, events of ''Etiquette & Espionage, likely turns 11 during this book * 1852 (Spring) Age 11, events of Curtsies & Conspiracies, Vieve attends Bunson's * 1853 (Spring) Age 12, events of Waistcoats & Weaponry, Vieve's second year at Bunson's, Kingair Affair (in which it's possible a poisoned teapot designed by Vieve's Aunt is used). * 1853 (Winter) Age 13, events of Manners & Mutiny, Vieve at Bunson's, meets Angelique for the first time * 1856-1858 Age 16-18, disguised as a man she moves back to France for university, Ecole des Arts et Métiers, meets Trouvé * 1860-1862 Age 20-22, graduates university, reveals her true identity, begins work in Paris * 1862-63 renews her acquaintance with Angelique who is already pregnant * 1863 Quesnel is born to Angelique * 1865-1872 Angelique abandons Genevieve and Quesnel to become a vampire drone, Lefoux visits Italy or somehow learns about the Templars Amended Rule possibly in a vain effort to extract Angelique from the hive's clutches * 1873 (Spring) Age 32, events of Soulless, Angelique now in London working as a maid/drone to Countess Nadasdy * 1873 (Winter) Age 33, events of Changeless, Lefoux returns to London to set up shop with Quesnel (now 10ish) * 1874 (Spring) Age 33, events of Blameless, travels with Alexia back to Paris and on to Italy * 1874 (Summer) Age 33, events of Heartless, ''Quesnel kidnapped, burns London with an octomaton, delivers Alexia's baby, Prudence, is punished with indenture to the Woolsey Hive for 10 years, it's likely the offical contract started in 1875. * 1876 (Spring) Age 35, events of ''Timeless, at behest of her new vampire mistress, travels with Alexia to Egypt * 1878 (Summer) Age 37, events of Romancing the Inventor, Quesnel leaves for University, three years into her indenture * 1885 (Summer) Age 43, Lefoux's indenture to the hive should be over * 1895 Age 54, events of Prudence, she appears to see her son leave on his adventure. She is referred to as Drone Lefoux, no explanation is given as to why she might have extended her indenture an additional 10 years (At the end of Romancing the Inventor, ''Madame Lefoux intends to extend her indenture an additional 10 years in order to gain permission to move in with her lover, Imogene). In the Books ''[[Etiquette & Espionage|'Etiquette & Espionage']] Genevieve is known as "Vieve" at Mademoiselle Geraldine's. She is about 10 years old. She becomes a friend and useful resource to Sophronia Temminnick, due to her interest in invention and skill with machines. With the aid of Soap, Vieve helps Sophronia get into Bunson's to take a look at the new communications device being developed. [[Curtsies & Conspiracies|'Curtsies & Conspiracies']] In Curtsies & Conspiracies, she convinces Sophronia and her Aunt Beatrice to help her to attend Bunson's boys school so she can become an inventor. (Although she is now 11, Sophronia continues to see her as much younger.) Her plan leads Sophronia into a bargain to take Algonquin Shrimpdittle, the only Bunson's professor who knows she's female, out of the picture. [[Waistcoats & Weaponry|'Waistcoats & Weaponry']] Vieve is away at Bunson's under the name Gaspar Lefoux for the entirety of this novel. ''[[Manners & Mutiny|'Manners & Mutiny']] Vieve is still in attendance at Bunson's under the name Gaspar Lefoux. She tips Sophronia off to the presence of Picklemen at the boy's school. She later gives Soap shelter during the daytime on his visit to see Sophronia. 'Changeless' Vieve is now known as Madame Lefoux and is introduced to Alexia Maccon as the owner of Chapeau de Poupe. Lord Maccon had commissioned Madame Lefoux to make Alexia a very special parasol. She then accompanies (rather uninvited) Alexia's travel party to Scotland - on behalf of Lord Maccon asking her to keep an eye on Alexia , her interest in hunting down Angelique , and possibly a third party. It is revealed that she and Angelique were once lovers at that her son, Quesnel, is actually Angelique 's biological child. Madame Lefoux is also responsible for the revelation that Alexia is pregnant and her subsequent dismissal from her husband's presence. ''[[Heartless|'Heartless']] In Heartless , Countess Nadasdy takes custody of Quesnel (ie: kidnaps him) because Angelique left him to the Westminster Hive's care in her will. Madame Lefoux builds an octomaton to forcibly retrieve Quesnel. However, with the law on Countess Nadasdy's side and Madame Lefoux destroying much of London, Quesnel was to stay with the hive. Alexia also offered Madame Lefoux to the Countess Nadasdy - keeping her near Quesnel and punishing her simultaneously. [[Timeless|'Timeless']] Madame Lefoux is a drone in the newly re-located Woolsey Hive. She accompanies Lord and Lady Maccon on a trip to Egypt where she is on a mission from the Order of the Brass Octopus to investigate the source of the God-Breaker Plague. Romancing the Inventor In Romancing the Inventor, Madame Lefoux is 38 years old and in the 4th year of her sentenced indenture to the Woolsey Hive. She is working in the potting shed as a makeshift labratory. One day, a servant named Imogene Hale is asked to abandon her upstairs duties to deliver Genevieve's tea. The two hit it off, Miss Hale eventually becoming Genevieve's assistant. Genevieve fights hard to protect Imogene from the vampires and takes her under her protection (with the help of Alexia Maccon). She doesn't believe there can be much more to her relationship with Miss Hale - she refuses to take the young woman's innocence and doesn't want to get hurt again. Prudence In Prudence Madame Lefoux makes a very brief appearance. She is described in the paragraph as Drone Lefoux, despite the fact that her official indenture would have ended in 1884, 11 years before the events of this book. No explanation is given as to why she would choose to remain indentured to the Woolsey Hive. Trivia * As a child, the sooties at Mademoiselle Geraldine's called her "Trouble." * At some point after Finishing School and before she meets Alexia, Genevieve reads some of the Templars sacred scripture. She is also recruited to the Order of the Brass Octopus. * Although they were at school together for a brief time, she and Sidheag hide any previous association when they meet each other in Changeless. We do not know why. * Madame Lefoux indicates that Algoquin Shrimpdittle recommended the introduction between herself and Monsieur Lange-Wilsdorf in ''Blameless''. * Madame Lefoux delivers Alexia's daughter, Prudence. * Madame Lefoux designs Alexia's first parasol, but not her second, that one is done by Gustave Trouve. * Lefoux is pronounced "Leh-FOO""Pronouncing Names (and the Reasons Behind Them)" at Gail's blog. * At one point, Imogene smiles at Madame Lefoux and Genevieve says “Je suis dans le pétrin” which is French for “I’m in trouble.” * Alexia reports that Madame Lefoux enjoys a good cognac. * Madame Lefoux is working on creating a counterstate aetheric conductor during Romancing the Inventor. * Has a tattoo of an octopus on her neck signifying her membership to the OBO Links * Madame Lefoux character study, at Gail's blog. * Pinterest Character board for Genevieve Lefoux. Quotes * "The boy had a bit of a French accent and a very cheeky demeanor. He was also much younger than any of the other sooties, with remarkably twinkly eyes. Sophronia suspected those eyes of being green, but it was impossible to tell by the light of the boilers. He had dark, cropped hair, trousers that were too big, and an upmarket-looking cap. An incongruous character all around. He was also slightly less smudged than any sootie Sophronia had seen before." (Etiquette & Espionage, Lesson Nine) * "Vieve here is fixing to be the next great inventor." (Etiquette & Espionage, Lesson Nine) * "Vieve here has an eye for accessories.' 'I like a nice hat on a lady," was Vieve's dignified response, with which he trundled off about his own business." (Etiquette & Espionage, Lesson Nine) * "Vieve, as it turned out, did indeed have green eyes. His hair was pitch-black under his cap and he was looking quite at ease with the world, in the manner of most chronically ill-behaved children. He was dressed respectably, if a bit on the newspaper lad end of the spectrum, and was at least clean." (Etiquette & Espionage, Lesson Ten) * "It seemed that Professor Lefoux's nine-year-old niece liked to dress as a boy and fraternize with sooties." (Etiquette & Espionage, Lesson Eleven) * "I assure you, I find female dress fascinating. I simply prefer not to wear it myself. It's very confining." (Etiquette & Espionage, Lesson Eleven) * "Someday I want a whole massive laboratory like this all to myself.' 'Oh?' 'I shall call it my contrivance chamber.' She had clearly given this a great deal of thought." (Etiquette & Espionage, Lesson Eleven) * "Genevieve Lefoux was a dear friend, a mercurial ten-year-old with a propensity for dressing like a boy and a habit of inventing gadgetry." (Curtsies & Conspiracies, The 1st Test) * "Vieve was from above stairs; she belonged to Professor Lefoux, as much as she might be said to belong to anyone. But she was rather catlike about the situation. She never sat for lessons, and went wherever she pleased at whatever hour. Since she liked engines, much of her time was spent in the boiler room." (Curtsies & Conspiracies, The 3rd Test) * "'Here, I stole it for you. Why don't you tell me what it's for.' 'Aw, Sophronia, how thoughtful. You brought me a present!'" (Curtsies & Conspiracies, The 3rd Test) * "Vieve was always very assured on the subject of hats. Not to be trifled with." (Curtsies & Conspiracies, The 4th Test) * "Sophronia was struck, yet again, by how old Vieve always sounded and acted. One would never have guessed from her speech that she was ten. From her actions, occasionally, yes. She did bounce." (Curtsies & Conspiracies, The 4th Test) * "How ''did she insist?' Sophronia found it difficult to persuade Vieve to do anything Vieve didn't want to do. Vieve blushed. 'She simply ''did.' Dimity was self-satisfied. 'I blackmailed her with a hat!" (Curtsies & Conspiracies, The 8th Test) * "I can't lark about here forever. I've been thinking Bunson's is a better place for me." (Curtsies & Conspiracies, The 8th Test) * "You are doomed to be lucky in matters of the head and unlucky in matters of the heart.' Vieve grinned. "That's good enough for me. I'd rather the first over the second." (Curtsies & Conspiracies, The 10th Test) * "The thing about Vieve was that the scamp turned up when she pleased, and no one was entirely certain where she spent the bulk of her time. So when one was looking for Vieve, it could prove difficult to actually find her." (Curtsies & Conspiracies, The 12th Test) * "Vieve was too young to go breaking into vampire hives and to cheeky to take such things seriously." (Curtsies & Conspiracies, The 15th Test) * "Genevieve Lefoux disappeared from Mademoiselle Geraldine's before the airship reached Dartmoor. Professor Lefoux was entirely untroubled by her niece's absence and began to receive letters, a few months later, from a previously unheard-of nephew, Gaspar Lefoux, who had been accepted into Bunson's." (Curtsies & Conspiracies, Test Results) * "You better be careful, or the Octopus will have him,' replied Sister Mattie." (Curtsies & Conspiracies, Test Results) * "Now twelve years old, Vieve had shot up and was almost as tall as Sophronia. She was looking likely to be as much a beanpole as her aunt. Since she intended a long career disguised as a man, Vieve was no doubt delighted to find the Lefoux genes running true to form, or more accurately, true to figure." (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Two) * "Vieve was in full impeccable evening dress from head to toe. Her dark hair was cropped short. She did not sport the mustache she once coveted, nor had she faked a deeper voice - as yet she had no need. Even with dimples and a feminine cast to her cheekbones and nose, she had the manners and movements of a young man. It was impressive." (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Two) * "Vieve contented herself torturing the debuts." (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Two) * "She smelled as though she had managed to convince the proprietor to serve her a pint - and then gone swimming in it. 'Really, Vieve, ale?' 'It's the kind of thing a boy would do. I spilled most of it intentionally, caused a fuss and got myself kicked out. Now if Bunson's discovers I'm out, they have a story about where I've been." (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Three) * "Vieve, however, possessed an indescribable love for technology." (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Three) * 'Vieve had a habit of leaving her sentences unfinished in times of contemplation." (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Three) * "Vieve also liked to be underestimated because of a perceived reputation." (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Four) * "Vieve was good at acting the part of absentminded boffin." (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Four) * "I tell you, Sophronia, if there's anything rotten about being a boy, it's the food. They expect us not to have any kind of discerning palate. The swill they give us to eat ought to be considered unlawful child endangerment.' Vieve sounded particularly French in her disgruntlement." (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Four) * "Vieve, with casual grace, reached over one shoulder, pulled a blunderbuss from a strap on her back, pointed it at Soap, and shot." (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Nine) * "I think you should kiss him.' Vieve's small face was grave." (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Nine) * "This is getting ridiculous, you realize? What am I supposed to do with you tomorrow night? You'll be a full-on wolf whether you like it or not. Net or no. How do I hide a wolf in a bathhouse?" (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis Nine) * "Poor Vieve never forgave England for the technological destruction. She stayed long enough to graduate with distinction from Bunson's and then left in pursuit of further education at L'Ecole des Arts et Metiers in France - still disguised as a boy. She eventually set up shop with her aunt in Paris, producing a respected line of domestic women's gadgets, all of them highly functional and quite deadly." (Manners & Mutiny, Afterword) * "Alexia thought, without envy, that this was quite probably the most beautiful female she had ever seen. She had a lovely small mouth, large green eyes, prominent cheekbones, and dimples when she smiled, which she was doing now. Normally Alexia objected to dimples, but they seemed to suit this woman. Perhaps because they were offset by her thin angular frame and the fact that she had her brown hair cut unfashionably short, like a man's. Ivy gasped upon seeing her. This was not because of the hair. Or, not entirely because of it. This was because the woman was also dressed head to to shiny boots in perfect and impeccable style - for a man. Jacket, pants, and waistcoat were all the the height of fashion. A top hat perched upon that scandalously short hair, and her burgundy cravat was tied into a silden waterfall. Still, there was no pretense at hiding her femininity. Her voice, when she spoke, was low and melodic, but definitely that of a woman." (Changeless, Chapter Three) * "Alexia noted with interest that she wore two cravat pins: one of silver and one of wood. Madame Lefoux might keep night hours, but she was cautious about it." (Changeless, Chapter Three) * "You are a woman of many talents, Madame Lefoux, an inventor as well as a milliner?" (Changeless, Chapter Four) * "The last time I was in the presence of a preternatural, I was but a small child. And, of course, he was nowhere near as striking as you." (Changeless, Chapter Four) * "The skin of the inventor's palm was calloused." (Changeless, Chapter Four) * “She reached inside the wide ruffle and pulled out a little vial. 'Poison?' asked Lady Maccon, tilting her head to one side. 'Certainly not. Something far more important: perfume. We cannot very well have you fighting crime unscented, now, can we?' 'Oh.' Alexia nodded gravely. After all, Madame Lefoux was French. 'Certainly not.” (Changeless, Chapter Four) * "Her grip was firm and sure. Of course, lifting and building all that machinery below street level would give anyone a certain degree of musculature, even the rail-thin woman before her. The inventor's fingers caressed Alexia's wrist just above the perfect fit of her gloves, so quickly that Alexia was not certain the action had occurred. There was that faint scent of vanilla mixed with gear oil once more." (Changeless, Chapter Four) * "Madame Lefoux had not forgone her men's garb, although she had formalized it for visiting, changing her colorful cravat for one of white lawn and her brown top hat for a black one." (Changeless, Chapter Five) * “Madame Lefoux accepted a cup of tea and sat on another little settee, next to the relocated calico cat. The cat clearly believed Madame Lefoux was there to provide chin scratches. Madame Lefoux provided.” (Changeless, Chapter Five) * "Understanding fully the unspoken code, the inventor shook her head. Given Madame Lefoux's appearance and skills, Alexia was in no doubt she had received offers of a similar nature in the past. 'Thank you kindly, my lord. You do me particular favor as I know you prefer male drones. But I am happily situated and of independent means, with no wish to bid for immortality." (Changeless, Chapter Five) * "Madame Lefoux stumbled forward against Lady Maccon and then righted herself. Alexia felt that the Frenchwoman had taken a good deal longer to do so than was necessary." (Changeless, Chapter Six) * "Madame Lefoux did seem to be quite the best sort of ally to have. And, despite her masculine attire, she smelled amazing, like vanilla custard. Would it be so awful if this woman were to become a friend?" (Changeless, Chapter Seven) * "Alexia caught a glimpse of something else upon the woman's neck. Something that the cravat had kept hidden: near the nape, partly covered by a few short curls of hair. Lady Maccon craned her neck about to see what it might be. A mark of some kind, dark against the fine white skin, was inked in careful black lines. Alexia brushed the hair aside in a soft caress, startling the Frenchwoman, and leaned in, overcome with curiosity. It was a tattoo of an octopus." (Changeless, Chapter Seven) * "Formerly Beatrice is the ghost of my father's sister. My father himself was a bit of a bounder. I am not exactly legitimate. When I was dumped on his doorstep, he gave me to Aunt Beatrice and died shortly thereafter." (Changeless , Chapter Seven) * "Lord Maccon 's opinion appeared to be that if Madame Lefoux dressed as a male, she should be treated as such." (Changeless , Chapter Eight) * "The Frenchwoman had with her a hatbox that appeared to be no hatbox at all but a cleverly disguised toolkit." (Changeless , Chapter Ten) * “Madame Lefoux shrugged. 'I do not know about that, my lady. I mean to say, one's life is one thing; one's technology is an entirely different matter.'” (Changeless, Chapter Ten) * "Madame Lefoux, her face changing from worry to surprise, stopped midsentence and midstep and tumbled forward, as limp as overcooked pasta. A bloom of red appeared on one immaculate gray lapel." (Changeless , Chapter Eleven) * "Only Lady Kingair had the wherewithal to respond. 'Good Lord, why? She was naught more than a two-bit French inventor.' Alexia thought she saw the Frenchwoman twitch at that. Was Madame Lefoux shamming?" (Changeless , Chapter Eleven) * "It was odd to think but she had never before seen another woman's naked body until now. She must admit Madame Lefoux did have a rather nice one. Not so well endowed as Alexia 's own, of course, but trim and tidy with neat small breasts." (Changeless , Chapter Twelve) * "The Frenchwoman shook her head. With her top hat off and her cravat untied, she looked almost feminine, most unlike herself. Softer. Alexia was not certain she liked it." (Changeless , Chapter Thirteen) * "Lady Maccon felt her face go even hotter, erotic images flashing through her brain: Madame Lefoux's dark head next to Angelique's blond one. A pretty picture the two of them would have made, like something out of a naughty postcard." (Changeless , Chapter Thirteen) * "Madame Lefoux did the most curious thing. She opened her green eyes wide, as though in surprise. And then, when that did not seem to help, turned her dark head aside and began to cry. Lady Maccon envied her the skill of crying with aplomb. She herself went all-over splotchy, but Madame Lefoux seemed to be able to execute the emotional state with minimal fuss: no gulps, no sniffles, just silent fat tears falling down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. It seemed all the more painfully sad, immersed in unnatural silence." (Changeless , Chapter Thirteen) * "You are interested in studying me, aren't you, Madame Lefoux?' 'You are a remarkable creature, Alexia." (Changeless , Chapter Fourteen) * "That said, Madame Lefoux may have been dressed as a man, but that did not stop her from being stylish about it, employing perfect tailoring and pleasing subtle grays and blues." (Blameless , Chapter Three) * "Madame Lefoux was generally thought to be one of the better young members of the mad-scientist set. She had a reputation for good, hard work and fair prices, her only idiosyncrasy of consequence, so far, being her mode of dress. All members of the Order of the Brass Octopus were notorious for their eccentricities, and Madame Lefoux stood comparatively low on the peculiarity scale. Of course, there was always the possibility she would go on to develop more offensive inclinations later." (Blameless , Chapter Three) * "Madame Lefoux pursed her lips but did not deny the romantic insinuation. 'So you will allow my motives to be, if not pure, at least in Alexia's best interest? Certainly, I care more for her well-being than that rubbish husband of hers." (Blameless , Chapter Four) * "Madame Lefoux gave herself over to the portrayal of a boy paramour with enthusiasm, affecting many acts of sychophant-like solicitousness. She donned an extraordinarily realistic-looking mustache for the charade - a large black waxed affair that curled up at each side just over her dimples. It managed to disguise much of the femininity of her face through sheer magnitude, but the protuberance had the unfortunate side effect of causing Alexia fits of intermittent giggles whenever she had to look Madame Lefoux directly on." (Blameless , Chapter Six) * "Genevieve Lefoux had proved herself a most loyal friend over the past month, perhaps a little guarded in matters of the heart, but she was kind of word and more importantly, intelligent of action." (Blameless , Chapter Six) * "At which statement Madame Lefoux leaned forward and kissed her, quite softly and gently on the mouth. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, but it wasn't quite the thing done in polite society, even among friends. Sometimes, Alexia felt, Madame Lefoux let that regretfully French aspect of her character go a little too far." (Blameless, Chapter Six) * "Really, Genevieve must you go for the eye? It's so unsightly.' Monsieur Trouve appeared to agree with Alexia's disgust. 'Only if you promise never to use a pun like that again." (Blameless, Chapter Seven) * "Professor Lyall highly doubted that a special order from Madame Lefoux for a vampire queen bore any resemblance whatsoever to a hat, aside from being transported inside a hatbox." (Blameless, Chapter Seven) * "My aunt is a ghost and so was my grandmother. I have a keen interest in understanding excess soul." (Blameless, Chapter Eight) * "Despite my mode of dress, I am still a woman, and I know my chances of surviving a werewolf bite, not to mention vampire blooding, are extremely slim. Besides, I do not wish to lose what little skill I have as an inventor alongside the bulk of my soul. To become entirely dependent upon the goodwill of a pack or a hive? No thank you. And simply because my relatives were ghosts does not necessarily mean I, too, have excess soul. In the end, I am not that much of a risk taker." (Blameless, Chapter Eight) * "Alexia was beginning to suspect Madame Lefoux of being a rather reckless young woman." (Blameless, Chapter Nine) * "Madame Lefoux appeared comfortable enough, although startlingly feminine in her dressing gown. It was strange to see her without the customary top hat and other masculine garb. She was softer and prettier." (Blameless, Chapter Ten) * "You would tell me if I suddenly developed a forked red tail, wouldn't you?' Madame Lefoux pursed her lips provocatively. 'Would you like me to check under your skirts?" (Blameless, Chapter Ten) * "Alexia nosed her way in to find Madame Lefoux, a look of abject horror on her face, holding up a dress of pink gingham so covered in ruffles as to put Alexia's nightgown to shame." (Blameless, Chapter Ten) * "A God-sanctioned purpose, to hunt and kill.' Madame Lefoux's tone was full of censure, not unsurprising given her choices in life - she was a creator, an engineers, and a builder." (Blameless, Chapter Thirteen) * "And you have no ulterior motive, Madame Lefoux? I heard you had received instructions from within the highest levels of the Order to follow and learn as much as possible about Lady Maccon and her child.' 'I am attracted to Alexia for many reasons,' replied the Frenchwoman." (Blameless, Chapter Fifteen) * “You, sir, are a bad scientist!” (Blameless, Chapter Fifteen) * "Following him was Madame Lefoux, bagpipe blunderbuss in one hand, cravat pin in the other, slashing and bashing away merrily." (Blameless, Chapter Fifteen) * "Madame Lefoux's shopgirls were always young and pretty." (Heartless, Chapter Five) * "Mostly composed of sharp angles, Madame Lefoux could never be described as full figured, but during her recent travels, she had lost flesh she could not afford to lose. The inventor always had been more concerned with the pursuits of the mind than the body, but never before had her lovely green eyes sported such dark circles." (Heartless, Chapter Five) * "I'll sleep when the souls do." (Heartless, Chapter Nine) * "She is a truly brilliant woman.' Alexia was properly impressed. 'Yet she loves too frequently and too easily." (Heartless, Chapter Twelve) * "Sometimes Madame Lefoux's engineering interests led her into the most peculiar parts of London." (Heartless, Chapter Twelve) * "Inside, Madame Lefoux, or the person she assumed must be Madame Lefoux, wore a glass and metal bucket over her head, like the offspring of a medieval knight's helmet and a fishbowl." (Heartless, Chapter Twelve) * "Alexia was not surprised; after all, the Frenchwoman was not so thickheaded as to build one weapon that could so easily be defeated by another of her own design." (Heartless, Chapter Twelve) * "Genevieve Lefoux and her octomaton weren't after the monarch of the empire; oh no, they were after a hive queen." (Heartless, Chapter Twelve) * "If this is Madame Lefoux we are dealing with, she'll have armed every single tentacle with something deadly. That's how she thinks.' Alexia couldn't help but agree. Genevieve was like that about her gadgets - the more uses the better" (Heartless, Chapter Fourteen) * "Alexia prefered to lead with an airborne offensive, but Madame Lefoux was opting for hand-to-hand - or was that hand-to-tentacle? - combat." (Heartless, Chapter Fourteen) * “Madame Lefoux acted as midwife. In her scientific way, she was unexpectedly adept at the job. When the infant finally appeared, she held it up for Alexia to see, rather proudly, as though she'd done all the hard work herself. 'Goodness,' said an exhausted Lady Maccon, 'are babies customarily that repulsive looking?'” (Heartless, Chapter Seventeen) * "The curtain pushed aside, and in came one of the people Alexia would have said was least likely to visit the theatre, Madame Genevieve Lefoux." (Timeless, Chapter One) * "Madame Lefoux always promoted her own agenda first, even as a drone , with the Order of the Brass Octopus second." (Timeless, Chapter One) * "He looked up to see Madame Lefoux. She carried in with her the slightly putrid scent of London and her own special blend of vanilla and machine oil. She was looking exceptionally well, Biffy thought. Life in the country clearly agreed with her." (Timeless, Chapter Two) * "Biffy never knew where he stood with Madame Lefoux. She was so very much outside his experience: an inventor, a scientist, and middle class, with a marked preference for the company of young ladies and an eccentricity of dress that was too restrained to be unstudied." (Timeless, Chapter Two) * "You are turning into a very good drone, aren't you, 'Madame Lefoux?' As she made her way out, the Frenchwoman gave him a look that suggested she preferred it if everyone thought that." (Timeless, Chapter Two) * "Madame Lefoux merely tipped her head in Alexia's direction and gave her a small, tight smile. Then she returned her attention to the actress, placing a solicitous arm about the woman's waist." (Timeless, Chapter Four) * "Madame Lefoux pushed her hair back behind her ears, defiantly. She'd let it grow longer since becoming a drone, but it was still too short for a woman." (Timeless, Chapter Four) * "It is not so bad as I had feared working for the hive." (Timeless, Chapter Seven) * "Formerly Lefoux said to me, before she died, that you loved too freely. I find it interesting that you can be so loyal to the individual and to your much-vaunted technology yet so unreliable where groups and governments are concerned." (Timeless, Chapter Seven) * "Madame Lefoux's hatbox, full of tools and mysterious widgets, did cause some consternation. Until, with her usual aplomb, the Frenchwoman produced papers claiming she had special dispensation from the Pasha to work on water pumps in Asyut. The officials seemed either to not know or not care that she was a woman dressed as a man." (Timeless, Chapter Ten) * "Lacking Mrs. Tunstell's natural British reticence, the Frenchwoman scooped Alexia into a full embrace, wrapping her bony arms around her friend and pressing her cheek to the top of Alexia's dark head. She stroked Alexia's back up and down in long, affectionate carresses, which reminded Alexia of Conall and made the tears, which were almost under control, start up once more." (Timeless, Chapter Thirteen) * "The French inventor told the acting troupe about Lord Maccon's death. She explained what had happened using scientifically precise language." (Timeless, Chapter Eighteen) * "She watched as the Frenchwoman strode across the reception room to a small gaggle of gentlemen. One of them was very young. Another was carrying a leather case stamped with the image of an octopus. She watched Madame Lefoux tilt her head, lift her short hair, and pull down her cravat and collar, exposing the back of her neck. She was showing them her octopus tattoo. Alexia 's brain said Those are members of the Order of the Brass Octopus." (Timeless, Chapter Eighteen) * "Madame Lefoux, having somehow determined what was happening, even through the chaos, appeared on the other side of the aged queen." (Timeless, Chapter Eighteen) * "Even in the middle of grappling intimately with the beautfiul drone, the Frenchwoman shook her head madly. The inventor had never sought immortality." (Timeless, Chapter Eighteen) *”Drone Lefoux, you know? Not technically a true drone but belongs to the hive, one of our queen’s most valued indentures. Best one, if you ask me. Punishment from the crown and our considerable gain.” (Romancing the Inventor, Chapter One) * “How does such a glorious woman look so good as a man?” (Romancing the Inventor, Chapter Two) * “How to explain the English class system to a willfully obtuse Frenchwoman? Madame Lefoux had already shown little regard for the sanctity of musicians.” (Romancing the Inventor, Chapter Three) * “She had, until this moment, conceived of Madame Lefoux as beginning and ending with the potting shed. In Imogene’s mind, the inventor sprang into existence just before Imogene entered the potting shed, and then out of existence when she left it.” (Romancing the Inventor, Chapter Four) * “The inventor crouched over him. Some sort of avenging pixie dressed as a dandy.” (Romancing the Inventor, Chapter Seven) * “I’m beginning to think you don’t know what you want, and poor Imogene is suffering for your indecision.” (Romancing the Inventor, Chapter Nine) * “Genevieve only overreacts for the people she loves.” (Romancing the Inventor, Chapter Nine) * "Rue wondered if that meant that Madame Lefoux made a habit of corrupting young ladies with cognac." (Prudence, Chapter Eight) * “Genevieve hides inside her inventions as a protection against affection.” (Imprudence, Chapter Four) References Category:Drone Category:Order of the Brass Octopus Category:Characters Category:Finishing School characters Category:Parasol Protectorate characters Category:Parasolverse Characters Category:LGBT character